Graduate School Program

Student Life
Student Life / Facilities / Enrolled Students / Messages from Current Students / Message from Alumni

■ Student Life

©Masao Nishikawa The GRIPS campus is located in Roppongi, one of the major centers in Tokyo, offering access to a wide variety of domestic and international food and products. The students can rely on the extensive network of the international student body at GRIPS for day-to-day living advice. In addition, since the FASID/GRIPS program consists of both international and Japanese students, the international students can maximize their exposure to Japanese lifestyle and culture on a daily basis. Many student activities are organized to make the most of their stay in Japan, from visiting factories and local governments to cultural exchanges. Japanese language classes are offered throughout the year at GRIPS.

■ Facilities

Library:

©Masao Nishikawa The GRIPS library contains over 130,000 volumes of books, statistics, working papers, and government documents, as well as a large collection of periodicals. The computerized catalogue can be accessed and searched by using OPAC or NACSIS-WebCAT, the Japanese Collection Search System. The library staff is well trained to advise on solutions to research problems and to identify the most efficient use of the resources available. A teaching collection ensures that books in heavy demand for courses are readily available. Other printed materials not held in the library can be obtained for students through inter-library loans. Moreover, GRIPS is surrounded by a wealth of other libraries and archival resources in Tokyo.

Computers:

Each student will be assigned one computer and a study space in the Student Research Room, which is accessible 24 hours a day. All computers are equipped with standard packages including such applications as Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer and Netscape. Access to the Internet is provided from all computers. A computer help desk is open to all students throughout normal working hours.

■ Enrolled Students

The class is composed of approximately equal numbers of Japanese students and international students from Africa and Asia. Most are either policy makers, researchers at national institutes, or practitioners of development, and have experience in dealing with development projects. This diversity of students makes the program practical as well as international.

List of Students and Their Countries

■ Message from Current Student

☆Tawanda CHINEMBIRI (Class of 2011, Ministry of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion, Zimbabwe)

It was always going to be different studying in Japan, with a whole lot of things to learn, from culture to the food, the weather and a new learning system altogether. Despite all this, I had high expectations and was not disappointed at all. I am having the best of my recent schooling history.

Firstly, the admissions for the IDS program provide a very good opportunity for interaction amongst students from different countries. This allows for the sharing of experiences amongst the students, one of the most critical components to take back to our countries. Our interaction with fellow Japanese students has made our stay very pleasant. The warm welcome and support they extended to us from the first day of our classes till now is invaluable.

The structuring of the course is very good, with courses taught in chronological order. It is easy for one to follow the flow of the program, whether one has studied economics before or not. The microeconomic foundation of the IDS program makes it very relevant in applied development economics. Having taken Microeconomics, Quantitative Methods and Strategies and Conditions for Development in Fall Term, the path was now clear for what to expect ahead in the program. These courses were very challenging and kept me busy throughout the four months of the Fall Term. The empirical case studies that are covered in the courses gave a very good background on practical approaches to development by drawing from experiences of countries that have managed to catch up with the developed world. These give a very solid foundation for other courses that follow in Winter and Spring Terms, namely Macroeconomics, Government and Market, Development Project Analysis, Economic Growth, Development Project Management, and Environment and Sustainable Development, among others.

The Applied Development Research paper provides students with a great opportunity to apply the knowledge acquired in the taught courses using various econometric techniques. The paper gives the students time to do empirical studies in areas of their choice and do their own analysis under the valuable guidance of the IDS professors. The six month internship period also provides a great opportunity for students to learn from the various reputable organizations that they are attached to, an invaluable experience to take back to our countries.

All the IDS courses are taught by excellent professors who have researched and published extensively in the area of Development Economics, mainly in Africa and Asia. This has given us a good opportunity to share ideas as well in our interactions with them. The professors are very supportive, helping us in both our academic and social life. Their teaching methods and approaches are very modern and straight forward, making it very easy to understand.

The world-class learning facilities at GRIPS provide a good environment to concentrate on studies. There are excellent student facilities, which include a fully fledged library stocked with the most recent books and publications as well as very conducive reading rooms.

I thus have no reservations recommending anyone to come for the IDS program. It is a good opportunity for one to acquire valuable knowledge and also share experiences with others.

■ Message from Alumnus

☆Waruna Sri Dhanapala (Class of 2007, The Presidential Secretariat, Sri Lanka)

Administrative officers like me have to assist our institutions in various ways to promote development of our people. To achieve this goal effectively, a sound academic background in the latest approaches to international development is needed.

When I was offered a place in the International Development Studies (IDS) Program conducted by FASID and GRIPS, I realized that it was going to change my whole academic and professional life. While many of my Sri Lankan colleagues prefer academic institutions in Europe, America and Australia for their postgraduate studies, two Sri Lankan friends, IDS graduates, convinced me that applying for the IDS was a wise decision.

This course, a wonderful blend of historical and modern theories on economic development and practical approaches to development challenges, runs over four seasons. It was summer season in Japan when I started my general orientation at JICA’s Tokyo International Center, followed by the IME course at the FASID head office that laid a strong foundation to the rest of the course. When the leaves turned yellow and red marking the arrival of autumn, I was busy among other keen students of Professors Hayami, Otsuka and Kajisa at Roppongi’s architectural landmark, GRIPS. All three core courses were interesting and challenging. It was also the time for us to start planning our research with the inspirational support of Professor Kalirajan. The winter, with occasional snowfalls, was a new experience for me though we had a very short academic term. These first two terms were very busy, with continuous assignments, examinations and reading for research. The spring term, heralded by the Sakura blossoms in full bloom, allowed me to choose several electives. The return of summer brought with it the privilege of being able to study under eminent economists, specially brought from around the world.

After that final term of coursework, I undertook an internship at the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). I was attached to its Capacity Building & Training Division. Among many benefits that I received during the internship, I could witness a wonderful mixture of Japanese working culture and modern management techniques in an international development organization. Moreover, I could realize the importance of research and strengthening human resources to creatively solve distinct development issues.

It was my childhood dream to visit Japan one day, but I never thought that I would be lucky enough to study there with a friendly group of students from Japan and developing countries. I will never forget the tremendous assistance given by the staff and faculty of JICA, FASID, and GRIPS, and the people of Japan, for making my stay a remarkable experience.

Today, as a member of the IDS Alumni, I can proudly say that I can look at development problems from new, multiple perspectives, and can apply and share lessons I learnt in Japan. I wish all the best for the current students to become ‘dynamic change agents’ and congratulate Alumni brothers and sisters for their excellent performance. I sincerely invite all the enthusiastic development workers in the world to join hands with the IDS family to make our world a better place for future generations.

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